1/48th AMP Bristol Sycamore,..... hopefully I`ll get this done? ***FINISHED****

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,.... I`ll stick this one here and hopefully get around to it,....... although I like the Aussie markings I quite fancy an RAF aircraft,..... but cannot decide on a scheme!

 

 

It looks like a lovely kit,..... so time to find a scheme!

Cheers

         Tony

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by tonyot

[Muddyf]

A great little helicopter.

 

I managed to get up close during a flying visit of the Redbull Sycamore to Bristol a few years ago. One word can describe the sound of the engine - “agricultural”.

 

Had my eyes on this kit, watching with interest.

 

 

[Tomjw]

Oooh, looking forward to this. I've been eyeing up this kit

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

[rob85]

Great to see a heli in the GB! Great choice Tony.

 

Rob

[roginoz]

Following carefully !

 

My build is currently stalled awaiting inspiration on close fitting of the cockpit transparencies.

Can't get over the vagueness of AMP instructions.....an arrow pointing vaguely in the general direction of the piece's mating partner.

Good luck with the build, @tonyot !

Rog

 

[Rabbit Leader]

No need to ask me what scheme I’d choose, although on the other hand the thought of representing another Malayan Emergency subject would also be high on my list. You’d better buy two kits Tony! 
Cheers and best of luck.. Dave

[tonyot]

3 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

No need to ask me what scheme I’d choose, although on the other hand the thought of representing another Malayan Emergency subject would also be high on my list. You’d better buy two kits Tony! 
Cheers and best of luck.. Dave

LOL,... I`m already considering it mate,..... the other boxing has the bulged clear rear doors which I like,..... but the kit appears to have shot up in price!  I`m toying between a silver and orange RAF trainer, yellow RAF ASR, Green and Brown Suez, silver RAN or the gorgeous blue and white RAN machine,..... this is why I have not built it yet,.... I cannot decide on a scheme!! 

[tonyot]

Hiya Folks,.... a bit of an update,....

                                                    I`ve started, first of all by applying a coat of black to the interior parts. Beginning construction with the cockpit, test fitting showed that the floor is far too wide to fit onto the lower section of the fuselage, even after a lot of sanding,... there is no lip moulded into the bottom section to receive the floor;

 

 

 The floor needs to be sanded flat on the underside to lay on top of the fuselage section instead  and also needs to be sanded narrower too, especially towards the front. I found it easier to assemble the rear fuselage section and then start to fettle the cockpit into place,..... quite a bit of cleaning up was required. The pilots seats were also cleaned up and the clear cockpit side walls/doors and nose section had their `solid' sections painted black too ;

 

A closer view of the cockpit section,.... the floor still needs to be fettled to fit yet and the side walls/doors were also fettled too so that everything would fit properly,..... the rear of the floor section also needs to be dropped slightly as it is too high;

 

Cheers for now,

                       Tony

Edited June 17, 2021 by tonyot

[Tomjw]

Strewth, looks like she's putting up a fight already. 

 

Cheers,

 

Tom.

[tonyot]

6 hours ago, Tomjw said:

Strewth, looks like she's putting up a fight already. 

 

Cheers,

 

Tom.

Certainly no shake and bake for sure Tom,..... but it hasn`t beaten me yet! The surface quality of the plastic parts is very nice. 

[Jonners]

Oh, good choice, Tony. As I've stated elsewhere on BM, if I had the chance to fly one historic helicopter it would be the Sycamore (closely followed by the Whirlwind 10 and classic single-engined Huey) - though only after swallowing a handful of bravery pills! 'Quirky' doesn't begin to describe it.

 

The silver and dayglo trainer scheme would look great, but my choice (predictably, for those who know my background) would be a 275 Sqn machine in yellow. Whichever you choose, I have no doubt that you will create a beauty.

 

Jon

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Jonners said:

Oh, good choice, Tony. As I've stated elsewhere on BM, if I had the chance to fly one historic helicopter it would be the Sycamore (closely followed by the Whirlwind 10 and classic single-engined Huey) - though only after swallowing a handful of bravery pills! 'Quirky' doesn't begin to describe it.

 

The silver and dayglo trainer scheme would look great, but my choice (predictably, for those who know my background) would be a 275 Sqn machine in yellow. Whichever you choose, I have no doubt that you will create a beauty.

 

Jon

Cheers Jon,.... yeah bravery pills indeed! I`ve flown in a Huey,.... which was excellent,.... doors open,..... a formation flight and we were all tooled up,... it could have been Vietnam had the German countryside had nmore paddy fields LOL,.... we were all shouting the tune to Ride of the Valkeries!! I`d love to fly in the turbine Whirlwind,.... although the Wessex was just as good and probably a bit more comfortable and safer!!

I`ve just ordered another one of these,.... the bulged side door variant,.... for £50,...... ouch! 

The Yellow one is tempting as they even flew them in this colour as troop transports in Malaya,..... but were more of a dull trainer yellow type colour and not the golden yellow we are used to. There were some (155 Sqn?) which had brown & green camo with yellow (or dayglow?) striped tail. o many good schemes!

 

[tonyot]

Right,.... done a bit more this evening while watching the footie!

 

I whittled away more of the floor section and then dry fitted the cockpit side, front and roof sections,...... to make sure they all fitted into place and held them together using tape,

 

Once I was happy with the above,..... I got on with adding the cockpit interior including the etched metal pedals and other controls. I`ll be adding the military style cargo seats in the back compartment and have painted these blue for now,.... I`ll double check on the real colour for them before they are fitted and the etched seat belts have also been painted blue, ready to fit too;

 

Then with most of the cockpit complete,..... I double checked the fit of the exterior sections again;

 

And how the fuselage will look,...... although for now it s back to finishing off the interior first. The smaller parts of this kit are incredibly brittle and many have been broken on the sprues,.... so great care is needed;

 

Cheers

          Tony

[tonyot]

A few interesting Sycamore schemes,........

 

I do like the 118 Sqn Sycamores from N. Ireland in their various schemes including yellow, silver and dayglo and green and grey camo,....... and I have a set of 1/72nd Hunter decals which might be OK for the unit bars,... but it might be worth saving this scheme for the kit with the bulged clear rear doors which I have en route?;

 

194 Sqn in Malaya with green and brown camo and yellow striped tail,...... it also has the early rear doors;

 

Yellow,.... home based;

Or Malaya?

 

Green and Brown,... Cyprus;

 

Or silver and dayglo trainer?

 

I`ll have to check out what I have in the decal bank,...... and the rear doors are also a factor too. Then of course there is also the RAN kit options,.....

 

And the silver Aussie scheme;

 

although many had artwork on the doors,..... I didn`t spot this in the kit decals;

 

 

Cheers

          Tony

 

 

 

[Rabbit Leader]

I can see what you mean about having difficulties choosing a scheme… I now want one, or two!! 

Cheers and thanks for the lovely photo montage.. Dave 

[Tomjw]

She's definitely coming on nicely. I agree with Dave about how difficult choosing a scheme is going to be. I do like the yellow SAR scheme, but I'd always gravitate to the RAF trainer scheme. I recall there was a Sycamore at RAF Shawbury when I was there with the ATC during the 80s. I certainly found the Sycamore to be a strangely attractive little helicopter.

 

Cheers,

 

Tom.

[Jonners]

Some great schemes there. Watch out for that yellow SAR machine with the 202 Sqn mallard on the side - it's a bit of a 'red herring' as 202 never operated the Sycamore. I think that airframe was resurrected to perform gate guard duties at the RAF SAR HQ at Finningley in the 80s, and was given a nice but completely inappropriate 202 Sqn 'zap'. These were basically big vinyl stickers in two halves that were put on the sides of the Sea Kings. I'm fairly sure this machine ended up at the Gatwick museum, no doubt causing confusion to many enthusiasts and modellers.

[tonyot]

4 hours ago, Jonners said:

Some great schemes there. Watch out for that yellow SAR machine with the 202 Sqn mallard on the side - it's a bit of a 'red herring' as 202 never operated the Sycamore. I think that airframe was resurrected to perform gate guard duties at the RAF SAR HQ at Finningley in the 80s, and was given a nice but completely inappropriate 202 Sqn 'zap'. These were basically big vinyl stickers in two halves that were put on the sides of the Sea Kings. I'm fairly sure this machine ended up at the Gatwick museum, no doubt causing confusion to many enthusiasts and modellers.

Cheers Jonners,..... and thanks for the heads up re the 202 Sqn markings,..... I had been struggling to find a period photo or any reference to the unit using Sycamores,..... well that explains why!! I thought that the pics that I posted were old,.... but just not old enough looking,.... and that explains why too. 

[tonyot]

Well I received the `other' Sycamore kit today,.... which includes the bulged clear rear doors and here are the clear doors along with the decal sheet;

 

 

The serials look more accurate `font' wise and the decals include the bogus 202 Sqn ASR yellow aircraft,...... but,... there are some problems! Some spelling is dodgy,..... look at "Sentral Flying School" rather than Central Flying School and "RAF Support Command" rather than RAF Air Support Command. 

 

 

On a plus note,..... there are a variety of different styles of warning and danger markings which means I can open my scope for options. 

 

Cheers

          Tony  

[tonyot]

Looking favourite for this kit is probably a 194 Sqn aircraft like the one seen below,,..... especially as I`ve just bought the book `The First Helicopter Boys' dealing with the Malayan Emergency,.... although thi one has the clear bulged side doors,...... arghh;

 

Other possibles,....

JEHU,... although the Army badge on the door could be hard to find,..... nd again it has those clear rear doors!!

 

118 Sqn based in Northern Ireland is looking favourite for the clear doors from my second kit!

 

 

Yellow rescue colours,......;

in Malaya;

 

103 Sqn Cyprus;

Or elsewhere;;

 

I do wish that the earlier kit had included the clear rear doors too!

 

Cheers

         Tony

 

EDIT,....... IT HAS JUST DAWNED ON ME,............ RAF SYCAMORE`S DID NOT HAVE THE REAR DOORS CONTAINING THE RECTANGULAR WINDOW!!!! RAF Sycamore`s either had the earlier solid door with the triangular shaped window,..... or the clear bulged perspex bubble door! So,..... I either try to remove said solid doors with the rectangular windows as provided in the first kit,....... or build it as an Aussie Fleet Air Arm aircraft! 

Edited June 21, 2021 by tonyot

[Jonners]

4 hours ago, tonyot said:

EDIT,....... IT HAS JUST DAWNED ON ME,............ RAF SYCAMORE`S DID NOT HAVE THE REAR DOORS CONTAINING THE RECTANGULAR WINDOW!!!!

Oh. Yes. Obvious, now that you mention it! Have you considered plunge-moulding some clear bulged doors from acetate?

[rob85]

Well at least you have enough reference photos Tony! Nice work on the cockpit.

 

Rob

[Aeronut]

5 hours ago, tonyot said:

 IT HAS JUST DAWNED ON ME,............ RAF SYCAMORE`S DID NOT HAVE THE REAR DOORS CONTAINING THE RECTANGULAR WINDOW!!!! RAF Sycamore`s either had the earlier solid door with the triangular shaped window,..... or the clear bulged perspex bubble door! 

Are you sure about that? XG502 at Middle Wallop has the square knock out panels in the bulged rear doors and although painted in the Brown and Green scheme she wore at Suez you can still make out the position of the Blue cheatline she wore during her time with the RAF Northolt Communications flight.

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Aeronut said:

Are you sure about that? XG502 at Middle Wallop has the square knock out panels in the bulged rear doors and although painted in the Brown and Green scheme she wore at Suez you can still make out the position of the Blue cheatline she wore during her time with the RAF Northolt Communications flight.

XG502 has the bulged doors and not the flat doors,.....  I  think it is pretty obvious that I was referring to the flat door with the rectangular windows,.... as provided in the first kit.  The doors on XG502 are based on the later bulged clear doors and were probably painted or skinned to prevent VIP`s from being scared.; 

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/XG502

 

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by tonyot

[tonyot]

1 hour ago, Jonners said:

Oh. Yes. Obvious, now that you mention it! Have you considered plunge-moulding some clear bulged doors from acetate?

Crazy isn`t it,..... there for all to see but you don`t realise what is staring you in the face! I would normally just go with leaving the rear doors off,..... but they are all but impossible to cut out,..... the clear plastic is quite thick, brittle and forms quite a lot of the door rim/ fuselage section. 

 

1 hour ago, rob85 said:

Well at least you have enough reference photos Tony! Nice work on the cockpit.

 

Rob

Thanks Rob.